Telephone attachment



' Dec. 30, 1930. I J, s 1,786,986

TELEPHONE uncnnsm Filed Jan. '6, 1930 Z8 I I 5 34 6 JOHN R.ELLIS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1930 "UNITED STAT .romv R. ELLIS, onnonsron; 1

TELEPHONE ATTACHMENT Application filed lanuary e, 1930. Serial. No. 41:8,?(55.

i .Myf invention relates to attachments for telephones andhas particular reference to device's for holdinglthe receiver of Y a. tele- -Phone.n J "In the ordinary is" necessary for the user ofthe telephone'to raise the receiver from the hook-orswitch lever and hold it'in one hand while heis talkinginto the-transmitter. Sometimes it 10 is veryinconvenient to have to continually hold the receiver while the conversation over the telephone is proceeding. It is frequently necessary to write r down matter connected with the telephone conversation and even {1. when'itisnot' necessary .-to use the hands for other purposes the continuous holding of the receiver is burdensome. f 1

It is an object of my invention to provide an attachment for ordinary desk, telephones whereby it becomes unnecessary for the user of'the telephone to hold'the receiver during the conversation. I

; I contemplate the provision of means to hold the receiver in: the proper position adjacent'thegtransmitter and toprovide additional 'means for operating theswitch lever whereby the hookor switch is operated to open o'r'close the circuit. y 1 y I have as a further objectth'e provision of ,3 a'supporting device for the receiver which may be used with or without-a latching means forthetelephone hook; My device is also .capable of convenient attachment to any ordinarytypeof desk telephone without modification thereof and in a minimum, of time.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side and plan views, re-

spectively;.ofthe bracket which may be secured to thereceiver.

v Figs. 6 and 7 are side andv plan views respectively of a latching bracket which may be connected with the stand of'the instrument. In Fig. 1. Ihave shown an ordinary type of desk telephone havingv a body-1 .a base 2,

type of desk telephone it lever 4. I

a transmitter SQ and a liookor switch lever 4E. The receiver .is shown at. 5 a'ndlis of ordis naryconstruction and having? a'receiving' end .G'and a handle gl-at the end ofwhich-is connected the I conducting cable8 passinginto the base f the teIephone A cable 9 connects which is divided longitudinally on the plane including thehingelQ and the two-parts of the divided arni are held togetherfbya set screw .14' or other similar connecting means. This bracket may be-rplaced about the stand 1. with the arm 13 projecting in'a direction approximately parallel with the switch Upon the arm 13 thus providedI secure an arm or support 15 which maybe oftubular metal constructiom said arm being bent with. thelevel of the transmitter 3. The

lower end of-said arm at 16is adapted to telescope over the end of the arm 13., A set screw 17 in the lower end of the arm may be tightened againstithe arm 13, thus holding the two parts. together but allowing an adjustment of thearm 15 relative to the bracket which will enable the operator to swing the upper end of the arm 15 into proper position to hold the transmitter 5. Obviously the arm as'is commonly employedin desk light supports, if desired. ,1 .1

. To support the transmitter upon the arm 15 I employ a split sleeve 18, one end of which is adapted to fitabout the handle 7 of the transmitter and to be clamped iniposition thereon. 1 A laterally projecting arm 19 on the sleeve 3? also split the two parts .15 maybe of semiflexible construction such I meansflofthe set screw 24.1" The arm 23 may be rectangular in' cross section and along the secured together by a set screw 20. The band or sleeve 18 will be open at one side, as shown.

at 20. The arm 19. is of the proper size to fit within the upper end of the tubular arm 15 andit will be seen that the receiver may be raised from the hook and the arm 19' telescoped'into the upper end of the arm 15, thus supporting the receiver in the proper position and the receiver may be pivoted about the upper end of the arm 15 into proper position to accommodate the'u'ser.

It is contemplated that the receiver- 5 rnay be supported more or less ermaeauy on" the arm 15 and when thisisdesired I provide a latch tooperate the switch 4;. This latch is made up of aband fll, which is fitted about th'e'stand'l'ofthe'instrument, said band beinghingedatj 22. 'There' isa laterally extending arm'23' which is' longitudinally divided,- and 'adapted to beheld together by plane of 'di-vi'sionbetwe'en' the two" sections of the arm I form'a slot or opening 25. Said slot is"inthe'shape of a-ninverted U, thus providing a' tongue or key 26 with a constricted'passa-ge 27adj a'cent thereto;

WVhere the receiver isipositioned as shown in Fig. 1 it will'throw the center" of gravity of -the devicewithin the'base '2, but if the receiver ismoved-farther away, some brace 'or' some extension on the base maybe employed to prevent tipping of the assembled structure.

I employ in this slot 25 a latch'member 28.

Said'latch has" a ring 29 at the lower end to receive the finger of the operator. The body of the latch ij's'of comparatively thin-sheet metal andhas a longitudinal slot 30 therein, which extends downwardly to a point 31 spaced from thelower end thereof. The uptelephone;

per end of the latch has a hook which may be engaged over the switch lever 4 of the Withpa'rticular reference to Fig.1, it will be'seen'tha't I may adjust the band 21' upon t telephone post '1, to' the proper distance below permanently on the armf15'l However, if it theswitch arm l. In this position'thehook 35 of the latch will engage over the arm 4 and the latch may be pulled down until the lower end3 of the latch" engages around'the lower portion of the tongue or key 26 on'the arm 23, and will' thus latch'th'e switch in closed position. When it is desired to release the switch the lower end 29' of the'latch will be'moved laterally to disengage the shoulder 34'at'the lower endof theslot fromthei tongue or key 26 and theresiliencyof the switch arm will throw the switch into open position.

Itwill be;seen'thatI may leave the receiver is desiredithereceiver may be used" without -the"l'atch' and in that case the receiver may be mounted 'on' the hook or switch arm 4" in the usuaimaimer and'whe'rr it'isdesired'tousethe telephone the receiverwill be removed from the hook and supported on the arm 15 during the telephone conversation. At the close of the period ofuseof the telephone the receiver may be again hung upon the hook in the usual manner. 7

.My device is simple and economlcal to construct and is easily adjustable to accommo-' date any user of the telephone. It Will be v seen that the arm 15 may be swung about the arm 13on"the"t'lephone post to any desired position and .also that the receiver may be pivoted' abou'tthe upper end'of the arm 15 into any desired position. These two adjustments make it possible to place the receiver exactly in a position'where'it mayibeleft p'ermanently, it thereafter'being only necessary to release orclo'se-the switch 4' as-previously described. The advantages of this construe- 'tion will beobvious to those'skilled in-the art.

said receiver, a. latch hook adapted tioflengage said switch arm',-and an arm'attached to said'body including means toreceive and hold 'said'latch hook downwardly to depress said switch arm. I

1 31'The combination with a'telephone ineluding a body,a switch arm, and a receiver, of a support for sa'id'receiver, comprising -an adjustable member, a post pivotally'. supported therein a'ndmeans to secure said post to said receiver, a latch'hookada-pted' toe'ngage-said switch arm, andreleasable means to r'eceivefand holdsaid latch book downwardly to depresssaid arm. j

4. A telephone including atelephone'body,

switch arm, and a receiver, in combination with a support' adj ustable to mount said receiver ma plurality of, positions, a' latch wher'eb'yfsaid' switch arm may be held depressed when. said'receiver is removed therefrom, said latch being manually operative and independent of said receiver support to release said switch arm as, desired, and an arm on said telephone body 7 comprising means to hold said latch. I

5. A telephone includinga telephonefbody, a switch arm, and a receiver, in combination with" a support adjustable on said body to mount said receiver in apluralityof-positions, a latch hook to engage said switch arm, means" to move said latch= downward, and

. mean's'to be engiaged -withsaid-moaand holditreleasably and the switch arm in lowered position. i

6. A telephone attachment whereby the receiver may be held in an operative position I including an adjustable support for the telephone receiver, a latching mechanism for the telephone receiver hook comprising an arm arranged for attachmentto the telephone body, a latch to engage the receiver hook, and means of connecting said arm and latch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 31st day of December, A. D. 1929.

, JOHN R. ELLIS. 

